By Emily Bihl, Brit + Co
If you really think about it, there haven’t been that many innovations in the world of paint shopping over the past few decades. Wallpaper has made its rotations in and out of public favor several times, offering technological advancements such as temporary options and even a paintable iteration for DIY enthusiasts. But paint? For all its transformative magic, we’re still walking down that same aisle in the hardware store, hoarding swatches. Enter Clare: a direct-to-consumer company promising to change the way you shop for paint.
Led by interior designer Nicole Gibbons, Clare takes its cues from brands like Warby Parker and Everlane, delivering their industry insider-curated colors to your door. But the now-common “cutting out the middleman” sales pitch isn’t the only thing Clare has going for it. The brand offers peel-and-stick paint swatches, a “why didn’t we think of that?” concept that makes it so much easier to see how any of their colors will really work in your home.
Led by interior designer Nicole Gibbons, Clare takes its cues from brands like Warby Parker and Everlane, delivering their industry insider-curated colors to your door. But the now-common “cutting out the middleman” sales pitch isn’t the only thing Clare has going for it. The brand offers peel-and-stick paint swatches, a “why didn’t we think of that?” concept that makes it so much easier to see how any of their colors will really work in your home.
Still on the fence? Clare’s Color Genius feature can help you pick the right shade for any room based on your favorite furniture pieces, your design inspiration, and even the type of lighting in your home. That way, when it gets down to dropcloth time, you can feel confident that you made the right decision. (Speaking of dropcloths: They’ll ship you all the supplies you need to complete your painting job, too, so last-minute trips to the hardware store won’t slow your progress.)
The colors themselves are good — really good. Clare stuck to a tightly curated collection of 55 eco-friendly, low-emission shades. Within that concise range, all the buzziest shades are well-represented with equally trendy names (Avocado Toast and Blue Ivy are a few of our favorites). We spotted deep, teal-tinged jewel tones reminiscent of that blue that made waves earlier this year, as well as muted violet-grays and, of course, a millennial pink or two.
Clare’s standard wall paint clocks in at $49/gallon and is available on their site, along with trim paint, ceiling paint, primer, and accessories. Time to break out those work clothes and get rollin’.
